Letters to the Editor

1) Why do those who complain of the impact of gerrymandering on South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District fail to mention the impact of gerrymandering on Rep. James Clyburn’s 6th District?

2) Given that Hillary Clinton falsely claimed during the 2008 primary to have dodged sniper fire, why are we surprised that she told the families of the victims at Benghazi that a video was to blame?

3) Why wouldn’t we think the IRS felt encouraged to go after the Tea Party, given its treatment by liberal politicians and media, including local columnists?

4) Why would the IRS target groups who seek to expand knowledge of the Constitution unless such knowledge is viewed as a threat?

5) And most puzzling of all, why would the administration subpoena phone records of The Associated Press, instead of the few officials in the administration who had knowledge of the counter-terrorism operation involved in the leak?

James Stewart

31st Avenue

Isle of Palms

I am fascinated with numbers after many years in the accounting profession.

The number 134,718 reported in a recent edition of The Post and Courier stood out like a sore thumb. This was the reported number of shipping containers processed through the Port of Charleston during the month of May, up by 9 percent over April.

These containers are filled with goods manufactured in foreign countries.

How many jobs could be created, if these goods were produced here in the USA?

Robert T. Poston

Stratford Road

Hanahan

The May 27 column by Paul Greenberg titled “Awakening vivid memories of wartime” is the most beautiful essay I’ve read in a long, long time. It is particularly poignant to me because I am a child of World War II. So much of what Mr. Greenberg wrote reminded me of my experience and brought back memories as a five-year-old whose family left the crisp, unsophisticated (read innocent) Appalachian Mountains to join the war effort.

My father helped build Liberty Ships in Wilmington, N.C. When Mother wanted to go back home, he said if we didn’t stop the Germans, they would be over here fighting us — that we all had to do our part. Doing our part was being thrown into a major disruption: strange places, stranger people, foreign Yankee accents that made us feel like we were the outsiders, attitudes so different from ours, crowded schools where little was taught, cruelties we would never have dreamed of back in Boone, N.C. Hushed whispers “so the children won’t hear” of German medical experiments, of Japanese torturing our soldiers. If they won, would they pull our fingernails out?

I wonder if Mr. Greenberg realizes how lucky he is to have this idyllic memory and to have spent his boyhood war years in his hometown in his own home.

Thank you, Mr. Greenberg!

Norma M. Horvitz

Church Street

Charleston

With all the trouble that the Obama administration faces, let’s not forget Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was the secretary of state when two diplomats and two former SEALs were murdered by terrorists in Northern Africa.

The Democratic leadership will do all it possibly can to keep her out of this mess. Some less important people might need to be sacrificed to keep her unsoiled so she can run for president in 2016.

As secretary of state, she was responsible for all the people working in the State Department. She knew what was happening. If you notice, the only official congressional inquiries concerning this are in the House. Harry Reid controls what is investigated in the Senate, and he will not allow this to be discussed.

Where do you think we would be if Nancy Pelosi were still in power in the House? The cover-ups would happen without any congressional oversight. Gives you cause to think twice before you vote. I guess I can expect an IRS audit soon.

K.L. Muse

Robbin Street

Moncks Corner

With all of the controversy over the IRS, wouldn’t this be a good time to consider a less complex form of taxation such as a fair tax or a flat tax? It would certainly simplify the entire tax code and close the loopholes. How about a tax code that is about 10 pages long instead of thousands?

Charlie E. Ledford

North Edgewater Drive

Charleston

Growing up gay in South Carolina wasn’t easy for me, and it isn’t easy for the thousands of teenagers and young adults in our community who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).

While reasonable minds may well disagree on the politics surrounding some of the hot-button social issues, I hope we can all agree that the youth in our community, gay or straight, deserve to live their lives without fear of physical or emotional abuse.

Unfortunately, LGBT youth in the tri-county area, for being who they are, are ostracized from many community support groups. That’s why We Are Family exists.

Founded in April 1995 under the direction of Tom Myers, the father of a gay son, We Are Family provides direct services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and straight ally youth. We are an avenue of support and, sometimes, a lifeline for youth who feel alienated from their community.

Today, We Are Family serves youth from all over Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties by coordinating educational outreach efforts, reaching out to local community groups, family physicians and school districts, and providing a space where these young people can feel comfortable to just be themselves.

If you have an interest in knowing more about We Are Family, I encourage you to visit our new website, www.waf.org, and email us at info@waf.org. We are here to educate, to help and to ensure that the tri-county area’s oldest and largest youth-centered LGBT organization remains an integral part of our community for years to come.

Daniel J. Crooks III

Channel Marker Way

Charleston

This is in response to Ron Brinson’s column about his friend Sheriff Al Cannon. I feel privileged to call our sheriff my friend, too.

Al Cannon epitomizes and defines those qualities that merit a person’s name being placed under the category of “the best of the best” among those who answer the call to public service with dedication and professionalism.

He’s not only a dedicated professional, but he also loves and is proud our Lowcountry and her citizens. And Al is plenty smart to boot. I’m honored to offer Al Cannon as “the best of the best” in the category of county sheriffs in the United States.

Bill Schachte

Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

Broad Street

Charleston

In response to the article on Medicaid expansion in Sunday’s Faith and Values section: I am puzzled greatly by the degree of opposition to expanding Medicaid in our state, especially from people within the faith community.

South Carolina has some of the most significant health needs in the country, a fact exacerbated by our high poverty rate.

We have an opportunity to offer better health care to families and children of the working poor who have no health insurance. The cost will be borne fully by the federal government for the first three years, with incremental reductions in subsequent years. The long-term economic health of our state is directly dependent on strengthening the three-legged stool of physical health, education and employability of our people.

This is clearly an investment in a better future for all South Carolinians. What alternative have we heard from the people who oppose this means of making health care available to more people who need it?